Dutco Balfour Beatty wins contract for DEWA HQ in Dubai

Utility provider awards $12.5m contract to DBB for shoring, dewatering, excavation and other works

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Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has awarded a $12.5 million contract to Dutco Balfour Beatty, the UAE-based contractor, for the construction of the first phase of its new headquarters, Al Sheraa.

According to a report by WAM, Dutco Balfour Beatty beat 10 leading international companies with the lowest bid. Its scope of work includes shoring, dewatering, excavation, piling, fencing and associated works.

Al Sheraa is set to be the tallest, largest and smartest government net Zero Energy Building (ZEB) in the world. It will have more than two million square feet, covering more than 200,000sqft of land at the heart of the Cultural Village in Al Jadaf.

The building will have 16,500sqm of photovoltaic solar panels on the roof, which will produce in excess of 3,500kW. It will also include an addition 2,000sqm of building-integrated photovoltaic panels. In total, the building is expected to generate total renewable energy of more than 5,800MWh per year.

The building is expected to be completed and inaugurated by the last quarter of 2019, the WAM report said.

“By building Al Sheraa, we establish a role model in Dubai and the world to achieve a balance between development and the environment, to protect the right of future generations to live in a clean, healthy and safe environment,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of DEWA.

“This supports the UAE Vision 2021 to make the UAE one of the best countries in the world, and the Dubai Plan 2021, to make Dubai the preferred place to live, work, and visit,” he noted.

Al Sheraa’s design has been inspired by the traditional houses in the UAE, with enclosed spaces overlooking an open courtyard. The courtyard will be the focal point, and the most prominent feature of the building.

To reduce heat in the open courtyard, a sail design is used to provide shaded areas. Natural light during the day will stream through specific openings in the sail, giving sufficient light without the associated heat. It will also feature trees, planted areas, and plants within a sustainable environment.

The building will use the latest technologies including the Internet of Things, IoT, Big Data and Open Data, and Artificial Intelligence, AI. Robots will be used for cleaning and to provide security services. A smart app will alert the employees about the time they should leave their homes based on the traffic.

The same app can be used to book parking spaces and meeting rooms. It can be also be used by visitors to easily reach the building and meeting rooms.

The total energy used in the building in a year is equal to or less than that produced on site during that year. Dewa’s new headquarters is targeted to receive a platinum rating by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), where platinum is the highest certification, the WAM report added.